Contractible film spool



1931- G. A. MITCHELL CONTRACTIBLE FILM SPOOL Filed May 8. 192

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spool which is thereon.

z with a number of spool for motion Patented 29, 1931 smrsn STATES. PATENT OFFICE encasea. menu, or Los moms, cannoama, assrairoa 'ro mcimu. emu

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This invention has to do generally with a picture film or the like, and more particularly with a motionpicture' film contractibleto allow it to be withdrawn easily from a film, roll wound The ordinary ri id bound therein, and the film roll cannot be re-, moved fromjsuch a spool except with great difiiculty. Heretofore, film spools'have most been driven through the medium commonly of a spring belt, causing the film to reel up into .a relatively loose roll which could be removed from the s 001 without comparative difiiculty. This re atively loose roll was not objectionable when the roll did not carry over I 250 feet of film,

as has heretofore been standard soun pictures it has been found more desir able to make the rolls of a length of 1000 feet,

fabric belt, with the result 0 tighter roll. It is found, however, that the and this in turn necessitates that the film be reeled muchmore tightly in order to form a stable film roll which wlll not telescope and fall apart. For this reason the usual sprin driving belt has now commonly been re la wlth a non-extensible, non-slipping leat er or a very much spool upon which this larger and tighter roll is carried is so tightly bound therein as to be extremely diflicult of removal, and sometimes means whereby a film rollv tight it is not possible to remove It is therefore a primary ob'ect of the present invention, to provide a expansible circumferentially, themember being expanded before .the film is reeled thereon, and thereafter contracted to allow the film roll to be removed. In the preferred embodiment there is provided a split tubular member of resilient material, which member -1s"resiliently expanded by forcing a wed member. into its Split before the film is ree ed on. To remove the film roll, the wedge film spool when woundconvolutions is tightly for contracting the vides means actuated gractice; but with the introduction of the spool without entirely rewinding the .in a split in the spool,

ftailed description of a present 1929. Serial No. 301,441.

member is removed and the tubular member I springs back resiliently to its original contracted position, when the spool may easily be slip ed ofi. Considered in its broadest aspect, owever, the invention is not limited to this arrangement, as it is equally possible, although not preferred, to provide a tubular film-receiving member adapted normally to assume theexpanded position, with means, I

member to allow the roll 60 to be removed.

The invention, in its preferred form, roby a mounting or riving shaft as the hub of the spool 1s slipped thereover, for e ending the film-receiving mempler, as descri in the preceding paraa A ilother feature of advantage of the spool provided bfy the present invention is t ,e novel means or securin film thereto. According to t e preferred arrangement, the end of the film is slipped within the split of the tubular film-reoelvmg member, and ipiped therein. at a sin le oligtbonl T531 n:i elfld is u e tes oo,aniori'a grip at an a ngle 'v ill instantly afj d st itself to a direction at true right angles to the spool axis, in which there will be no tendency for the film to work off as it is reeled thereon. This is a feature of great importance, as it is well known that according to the usual method of securing the film end to the spool, which comprises bending over the end of the film and if the film end is not bent over at an exact right angle with respect to the spool axis, the film will immediately start to run off the edge ofthe spool,

andwill never reel properly-but will con- 90 tinue to run first off one edge of the roll and then ofl the other. v I It 'is a further object of the presentinvention to provide a'film spool ha the above described characteristics, and whic in construction, effective in use and convenient in o ration. 1 Other ob ects and features of the nvention will-be gathered from the follozi gf deprefe the end of the .7

thus pivota 1y 75 one edge of the spool inserting it as is simple bodiment, reference for this purpose being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section showing the filmspool'in position in a film magazine;

Figure 2 is a similar section of the spool, showing it removed from the magazine;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the spool, showlng the spool expanded and a film roll wound thereon Figure 4 is an end elevation of the spool, showing the spool contracted to be removed from the film roll; and

Figure 5 is an elevation of the end of the spoolopposite to that shown in Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings, the spool is provided with a tubular film-receiving portion split laterally at 11, with its meeting ends 12and 13 turned in, as shown. Concentrically disposed within this tubular member 10 is a hub portion 15, which is formed upon the inner end of a bracket 16 secured to the inner surface of member 10 at a point opposite its split 11. Hub has a bore 17 within'which the tubular axle member 18 of a magazine 19 is taken for rotative support of the spool (see Fi ure 1). Journaled in bore 21 of axle member 18 is a spindle 22, and secured on the right hand end of spindle 22 outside of magazine 19 is a drive pulley 23. Spindle 22 has formed on its left hand end adjacent the end of tubular member 18 an enlarged head 24, which is adapted to be taken within a reduced concentric bore 25 of .hub 15 extending rearwardly therein from bore 17. The outer end of head 24 is slotted at 26 to take a cross-pin 27 provided in bore 25 of hub 15 for the purpose of drivingly connectin pulley 23 with the spool.

The rig t hand end of hub 15, as viewed in Fi ures 1 and 2, is provided on its outer surface, just below the split 11 in member with a pair of lugs 30, between which is pivotally mounted the end of a wedge-arm Arm 31 is provided, midway between the ends of the spool, with an outwardly extending wedge-portion 32, which is adapted to be forced outwardly between the inturned ends 12 and 13 of the cylindric member 10; this wedging action causing said ends to be spread apart and member 10 to be expanded, ashereinafter more fully explained. Ends 12 and 13 are preferably bent slightly backward, as-shown, to conform to the beveled surfaces of wedge 32.

The free movable end 34 of pivoted arm 31 is curved inwardly toward the spool axis, and is adapted to extend, when arm 31 is moved'radially inward ,(see Figure 2), within the bore 25 of hub 15 through a radial slot 35 provided therein; The-other end of spindle-head 24 is provided with a cam nose 36, which, as the spool is placed in the mag- .azine and its hub is slipped over spindlehead 24, contacts a cam surface 37' of the "direction after being thus movable end 34 of arm 31; and then as the spool is forced further on over the spindle the cam and passes thereunder, the inner end 34 of the arm riding on the side surface of head 24, as shown in Figure 1.

This last described movement of arm 31 is the movement that causes wedge 32 to be forced between the inturned ends 12 and 13 of tubular member 10, as previously referred to. Member 10, which maybe comprised of any suitable resilient material, thus, in the preferred embodiment, normally takes the contracted position illustrated in Fi ures 2, 4 and 5, and is resiliently expande to the illustrated positions of Figures 1 and '3 by outward movement of arm 31, which in turn causes circumferential expansion of the tubular member by spreading or wedging afpart its split. When the spool is removed rom the magazine, spindle-head 24 is removed from contact with the inner end of arm 31 and the tubular member isthereupon enabled to contract, by virture of its resiliency, to its original normally contracted position, illustrated in Figures 2, 4 and 5. As the tubular member contracts its, inturned wedgereceiving ends close toward each otherand force the wedgeortion 32 of arm 31 inwardly and out o the split, thus moving the inner end 34 of the arm back into hub-bore 15, as in Figure 2, where it is in position to be contacted by the spindle when. e spool is again mounted thereon.

The co-operation of wedge 32 with the inturned ends 12 and 13 of member 10, in addition to the described function of expanding member 10, serves also to secure the inner'end of the film to the spool in a novel manner, as will now be described. When a film is to be reeled on the spool, the end 42 of the film F is first slipped into the lit 11 of tubular member 10 to one side 0 wedge 32, as in Figures 2 and 5. The spool is then mounted in the magazine, and spindle-head 24, in slipping within bore 15 to drivingly en age cross-pin 27, operates as described to orce wedge 32 outwardly between the inturned split-ends 12 and 13. Wedge 32 now not only expands member 10, but also, as will be seen from Figure 3, grips the film end be- .tween itself and one of the ends 12 and 13. Wedge 32 is preferably made relatively narrow in width so that the film is pivotall held thereby and is automatically adjusta 1e in gripped. Thus if the film be originally inserted and gripped in the spool at an angle, as indicated in Figure 2, the film will plvot at wedge 32 to take 'adirection at true right angles to the spool axis, as indicated in Figure 1, thereby insuring that the film will reel properly without running off one edge of the spool.

' When a film roll 45 hasbeen reeled upon the spool and the spool is removed from the nose moves arm 31 radially outward easily be withdrawn from in design, structure spindle,

A wed spoo magazine, spindle-head 24 is removed from contact with arm 31, which is thereupon allowed to move inward 'or out of wedging position. The tubular member 10 then springs back to its normal contracted position, as illustrated in Figure 4, when the spool may the roll. It will be understood the drawings and description are to be considered merely as illustrative of and not restrictive on the broader claims appended hereto, for various changes and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of said claims.

I claim:v

1. In combination with a spindle, a film spool adapted to be mounted on said spindle, said film spool includingan-expansible filmreceiving member, said member normally asyielding contracted position, and expan g means for said member actuated by the spindle as the spool is mounted on the spindle. v

2. Incombination with a spindle, a film spool adapted to be mounted on said indle, said spool including a split tubular film-receiving member of resilient material, and means actuated by virtue of mounting the spoolon the spindle for resiliently exlpanding said tubular member circumferentia y a spindle, a film' In .combination with spool adapted to be mounted on said spindle, said film spool including a split tubular filmreceiving member of resilient material, a member movabl mounted on said and having a we ge by virtue of mounting said spool on said to be forced within said split to resiliently ex and said tubular member circumferentia ly. 4. In combination with a spool-driving spindle, a film spool adapted to be slipped on and drivingly connected with said spindle,

" said film spool including a split tubular filmspo'ol ada receiving member of hub portion mounted member and havin trio therewith withln which said spindle is adapted to be taken, connecting said spindle with said hub, a

resilient material, a within said tubular wedge-member movably mounted, within said tubular member, said wedge-member having a portion adapted to extend into the spindle bore of the said hub bore by the spindle as the hub is slipped thereover, and a wed portion on said wedge-member adapted to forced, by virtue of said wedge-member movement out of the spindle-bore, within the split of said'tubular member. f 5. In combination with a spindle, a film ted to be mounted on said indle, said spoo including a s lit tubular m-receiving member, the sp it in said tubular member being adapted to take the end of a film strip, awedge member which the film may portion adapted,

a spindle-bore concenmeans for drivingly;

and to be contacted.

and moved out of said film strip, and -meansactuatedby virtue of a mounting the spool on the spindle for securing said film-strip end in said split.

6. In combination with a spool-driving spindle, a film spool adapted to be slipped on anddrivingly connected with said s indle, said spool includin a split tubular film-receiving member, t e member,being adapted to take the end of a film strip, a wedge member movably mounted within a wedge portion adapted to be forced within said split to grip the film therein, said wedge member being moved to film gripping position by contact with the spindle when the spool 1s slipped thereon, and being'release'd from film grippin position when the spool is withdrawn from t e spindle.

7. In combination with spindle, a film spool ada ted and drivingly connecte with said s indle, said spool including a split tubular lm-receiving member, the split in said tubular member being adapted to take-the end of a movablymounted within said tubular member and having a relatively narrow wedge portion adapted to be forced within said split to grip t e .film therein substantially at a single point about pivot, an to expand the tubular member, said wedge member being moved to film gri pin'g position by contact of the spindle w en the sp l is slipped thereon, and being released fr m film gripping positionwhen the spool is withdrawn from the spindle.

8. In a films 001, ahub, a split resilient film-receiving d i'um mounted on the hub,

a spool-driving 'said drum assuming a normal unstressed position with the gap provided at said split wide enough for insertion of a film, a wedge mounted on the hub and adapted to be wedged out to open the gap-and to grip the film, said wedge-located near the longitudinal center of the gap and being of short length relative tothe length of the drum so as to grip the film substantially at a point about which the film may pivot.

9. In combination with ,a spool-driving spindle, a film spool adapted to he slipped on and drivingly connected with 'said spindle, said film spool including a split tubular film.- receiving member of resllient material, a hub portion mounted withinsaid tubularv memher and having a spindle-bore concentric therewith within which said spindle is adapted to be taken, a wedge-member pivots ed on said hub portion, said wedge-member havin a portion ad'a ted to extend into the spind e bore of said ub and to be engaged here by the spindle as the hub is slipped thereon, and a wed portion on said wedge-member adapte to be split in said tubular said tubular member and having to be slipped on forced, by virtue of said wedge-member =1- movement out of the spindle-bore, within the split of said tubular member.

10. In combination with a spool-driving spindle, a film spool ada ted to be slipped on and drivingly conneete with said sffiindle, said spool including a split tubular m-receiving member, a Wedge member movably mounted within said tubular member and having a wedge portion adapted to be forced within said split to ex and said tubular member, said wedge mem r being moved to expanding position by engagement of the spindle when the spool is slipped thereon, and being released from expanding position when the spool is withdrawn from the spindle.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 19 day of April, 1929.

GEORGE A. MITCHELL. 

